SpaceX has carried out the 12th test flight of its Starship rocket program, launching the biggest and most powerful version of the spacecraft developed so far.

The upgraded Starship V3 lifted off from the company’s Starbase facility in southern Texas and completed its planned mission before splashing down in the Indian Ocean.The rocket carried 20 mock Starlink satellites during the flight as part of testing operations.

The latest Starship model stands 124 metres tall and includes major upgrades over previous versions, including increased engine thrust, larger steering fins, improved fuel transfer systems and enhanced onboard computing and navigation capabilities.The spacecraft also includes docking hardware intended for future lunar missions and orbital rendezvous operations.

NASA is relying on SpaceX’s Starship program as part of its Artemis missions, which aim to return astronauts to the Moon for the first time since Apollo 17 in 1972.SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are both competing to provide lunar landers for upcoming Artemis missions.NASA plans to conduct orbital docking tests in 2027, with a crewed lunar landing potentially taking place as early as 2028.

The launch came shortly after Elon Musk announced plans to take SpaceX public through what could become one of the largest initial public offerings in history.

Unlike some previous Starship test flights that ended in explosions, this mission avoided major failures and marked another step in SpaceX’s long-term objective of developing reusable spacecraft capable of carrying humans to both the Moon and Mars.